Since 2000, celebrities have been embarking on "fact-finding" missions to the once "Dark Continent": Bono in Ghana, Clay Aiken in Uganda, Jessica Simpson and Drew Barrymore (not together) in Kenya, George Clooney in Darfur, Laurence Fishbein in South Africa and finally, Angelina Jolie and (boy toy) Brad Pitt in Ethiopia. Some pundits say the Continent is having its proverbial "15 minutes of fame," but for tour operators that have been selling programs to the Continent and to Ethiopia in particular, the focus is serendipity.

At Santa Monica, Calif.-based Universal Travel System (UTS), Klaus Billet takes a more sanguine attitude. "Well actually, Angelina's presence does not do much for Ethiopia," says Billett, president of UTS, "unless of course she was our tour guide, then maybe we would see a lot of bookings for Ethiopia."

Barring the fantasy of hiring Angelina as his next guide, Billet maintains bookings are small for the pre-packaged Ethiopia program that departs just once a year and is combined with nearby Somalia and Eritrea. The pre-packaged 24-day Unusual East Africa's single departure is Oct. 24; and costs $12,000 per person double plus $5,100 for airfare (this airfare is for 20 flights: USA/Frankfurt/Asmara, Eritrea, Djiobouti, Hargeisa (Somaliland), Mogadishou (Somalia), Addis Ababa, Lalibella, Axum, Gondar,Bahar Dahr,Addis Ababa, Bujumbura (Burundi), Kigali (Rwanda),Entebbe (Uganda), Addis Ababa, Frankfurt, USA) from New York. It combines Ethiopia with Somalia, Djibouti, Barundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Eritrea.(more)